Rotary engine



T. R. PRINCE ROTARY ENGI NE OriginalF iled Oct. 25, 1919 I ahvw top 7 4027744 if}: nee

Patented Feb. 1, 1927.

THOMAS 3. relates, or en. enoaens, nnwronnnnann.

ROTARY ENGINE.

Application filed October 25, 1919, Serial No. 333,150. Renewed January 11, 1924.

practically do away with noise, jar, and loss of the fluid agent and therefore of power. Said agent maybe steam or compressed air, in which event advantage is taken of expansion as well as impact, or it may be gas,

water, or possibly an explosive mixture in which last case means must be provided to ignite the fluid at the proper moment and simultaneously to cut oil the intake so that the force of the explosion will be directed forward only. I reserve the broadest latitude with respect to the fluid agent used,

although I will describe my engine as driven by steam.

The invention as disclosed shown in'the accompanying: drawings is applied to a single cylinder having two intakes with their swinging abutments and two exhausts, and a single concentric rotor having two wings; but it will be clear without further description and illustration that the invention is not limited in these respects.

With this understanding the following specification sets forth a'successful construction of this improved engine, reference be ing made to the drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical section through the cylinder and an elevation of its abutments and its rotor, showing the valves closed and the wings as just about to pass and permit them to open. I have made use of one side of this view to employ reference numerals, while the, names of certain parts have been placed on the other side in order that th drawings may be more asily read.

Figure 2 is a similar view of one-half of Figure 1 showing the wing in full lines as having progressed until the corner of its face is about under the midlength of its rocker, and in dottedlines as having progressed to a point where the rocker has dropped onto the angle at the beginning of the cam and the valve is about to open.

Figure 3 is a similar view showing the wing in full lines as having progressed to below and a point where the rocker is traveling down the receding face of the cam and the valve is partly open, and showing the parts in dotted lines with the valve wide open.

The well known elements of a rotary engine of this character are indicated broadly in thedrawings by reference letters. Mounted on a base B is a cylinder C whose bore is struck on a true circle and whose, shell in the present case contains two diametrically disposed inlets or intakepassages I, each controlled by an abutment A mounted at one end on a pivot and havinga valve at its other end, and the shell of the casing also has two exhaust ports X whereof each is a considerable distance in advanceo f its intake so as to get the full force of expansion as well as the force of impact in cas steam is the fluid agent. Mounted on a shaft S extending transversely throughthe exact axis of the bore of the cylinder is the rotor It, herein shown as having two diametrically opposite and identical portions where the periphery of the rotor-fits as closely as possible within the bore of the cylinder. A1 though packing will be used-t0 effect a close fit between parts and means will be pro-.

so the steam space where it is widest should be about one-twelfth said diameter'to-pro duce the greatest efiectiveness in the unit illustrated. The rear end 1 of the abutment A is struck ona true are around the 7 axis of the pivot 8 and fitsclosely withina similarly shaped socket 2 in the wall of the casing at one side of the intake 1; the back 3 of the abutment is preferably fiat and lies squarely across the intake when closed; the

opposite or inner edge 4 of the abutment is fiat from its rear end 1 parallel with the back for quite a distance and is then rounded or. curved outward to constitute what I will call a rocker 5, the same terminating at the tip 6 of the abutment remote from its pivot; and the valve 7 is formed by cutting off the end of the abutment from the tip to its back on a line forming an obtuse angle with said back, possibly at an angle of about 135. The wall of the casing around the mouth of the intake is recessed to form a chamber of such size as to fully receive the abutment when the valve is closed. One end of this chamber is the socket 2 above referred to, the same communicating at the point 11 with the, bore of the. cylinder; from this end the chamber extend-s completely across the intake; and the other end of the chamber is made up of a valve seat l'? standing V on an angle to coincide with the working 7 face of the valve 7 and a seat extension 15 struck on an are around the pivot 8 from a point 16 where the extension unites with the seat to a point 1a where it unites with the bore, and in the movement of the abutment to open and close its valve, its tip 6 coacts with the bore of the cylinder and,

swings across the face of this extension.

j The rotor R is shown herein as having two wings. Commencing at the point 20 the periphery 21 of the piston itself which is fitted closely therein as by meansof inserted packing 22, extends back in the direction of rotation to the corner 23 of what might be called the wing 24;. In rear of the latter is formed a pocket 25, composed preferably'of a. flat face26 standing on a radius of the rotor, a bottom 27, and an inclined back 28, the latter leading out to an angle 29 which marks the beginningof the steam space 30 and stands a shorter distance from the axis of the rotor than the corner 23;

or in other words, the pocket is deeper at itsr face 26 than at its back 28, and the receding face 31 leading from the angle 29 to a point 32 and preferably on a gentle curve slightly spiral to the axis, a concentric face 33 leading from the point 32 a considerable distance rearward to the point 34 and struck on an are which is concentric to the axis and'opposite which face the steam space has its greatest width, and finally a rising face 35 which is herein shown as rising first'on a tangent 36 from the point 34 to the point 37, then on a s short curve 38, and finally on anothertangent 39 to a point 40 where the steam space ends, this point being coincident with the 7 point 20 at the beginning of the periphery of the other wing 24. Manifestly the length of this steam space and the shape of the various faces of the cam are matters which are subject to considerable variation, and

also matters which may be left to the builder. hat'might be called the essential features of construction are the'shape o'fthe valve seat/and valve and the rocker or inner edge 101"- the abutment, as well as the s'hape of the pocket and its Wallsand the receding face 31 of the cam.

With the parts standing as seen in Fig ure 1 and the rotor revolving in the direction of the arrow, the edge of the wing 24; is yet'holding the valve 7 closely against its seat and the motive fluid within 'both steam spaces 30 islflowing out the exhausts X. I The rotor now moves to the position indicated in full lines in Figure 2, where the corner 23 has traveled perhaps half way along the rocker 5 so that the pressure on the back 3 of the abutment has moved the valve 7 from its seat :17 and its tip has passed part way down the extension 15..

Further progress of the rotor to the position dotted in this view permits further inward swinging of the abutment, thecorner' 23 passes the tip 6 and the heel of'the rocker drops onto the angle 29. At this tiineithe motive fluid begins "to pas's the tip 6 into the pocket 25. Further movement of the rotor carries the angle 29 along under the rocker so that the latter rests on the receding face 31 of the cam as seen in full lines in Figure 3; and as this face travels under the rocker the valve opensinore and more as the abutment swings inward, and

finally reaches its wide open position with the parts standing as seen in dotted lines in this view. Of course the rotor is revolving rapidly, but during the action described the fiuidis admitted more and more rapid 1y past the opening valve, and flows over the face 31 into the pocket 25, and directly against the flat face 26 of the wing 24. thereby using the impact of the inrushing fluid to revolve the rotor. The pressure of said fluid on the back 3 of the abutment merely bears its rocker .downwardonto the cam face, and the latter recedes from the angle 29 to the point 32 so as to permittheabutment to yield to this pressure until its valve is wide open. Further movement of the rotor carries the concentric face 33 under the rocker and holds the latter with the valve wide open so that anample charge of motive fluid is admitted; and eventually the abutment i's swung outward by the rising face 35 until the valve is fully closed by the periphery 21 of the succeeding wing.

Thus it will be seen thatwithout considering at all the question of expansionthe motive fluid is admitted at first slowly and then through a wide open valve at the free end of a swinging abutment, the same being pivoted in such manner that when it swings it directs the fluid tangentially around the rotor and against the flat face of the piston wing 24:. In other words, the fact that the rear wall of the pocket is not as deep as its front wall and unites at 29 with a receding face 31 of the cam, serves two functions; first it affords a support for the rocker 5 when the corner 23 of the wing releases it, and second it affords a channel into the pocket through which the motive fluid may flow, this channel growing wider as the valve opens while the rocker travels down the face 31. to the point 32. The back 3 of the abutment now stands oblique to the line of the inflowing motive fluid, and directs it along said channel into the pocket, which it continues to do until and unless it is cut 05 in case it is steam whose expansion it is desired to use. The outward curve of the locker 5 not only coacts with the angle 29 to permit the abutment to swing inward by degrees, but it coacts with the specific cam faces on the rotor behind the pocket to permit the abutment to swing yet further inward until its valve 7 is wide open, then hold it there, and finally to close itthereby producing the greatest effectiveness. At no time is there not a direct contact between either the inner edge 4 or the rocker 5 of the abutment on the one hand, and some point or angle or face of the rotor on the other hand, and therefore the escape of live steam is reduced to a minimum and the bulk of it is directed forward into the pocket 25 and directly against the face 26. Meanwhile the dead steam within the space 30 is exhausting at X, and experience has proven that this space where it is widest opposite the concentric face of the cam accommodates the expansion so that there is little or no back pres sure imparting a drag on the rotor by choking the outlet.

What is claimed is:

1. In a rotary steam engine, the combination with a casing having diametrically opposite inlet ports and adjacent diametrically opposite exhaust ports, the inner end of each inlet port being formed with a chamber having a beveled seat in one wall, a swinging valve pivotallysupported in the opposite wall of the chamber and having a beveled '7 concentric with and spaced from the casing V rearwardly of the said curved portion, a straight'portion extending rearwardly from the concentric portion, and a curved portionextending from the last-named portion to the casing.

2. Ina rotary steam engine, the combination of a casing-having an inlet port and an exhaust port, theinner end of the inlet .port being formed with a chamber having a beveled seat in one wall, a swinging valve pivotally supported in'the opposite wall of the chamber and having abeveled end for seating on the said seat, and a rotor consisting of an approximately cylindrical block having a motive fluid receiving pocket in its periphery, the forward wall of the said pocket being radial with respect to the axis of the rotor and the rear wall at an obtuse angle to the bottom of the pocket, the peripheral face having a curvedvportion receding from the rear wall of the pocket toward the said axis, a portion concentric with and spaced from the casing rearwardly of the said curved portion, a straight portion extending rearwardly from the concentric portion, and

a curved portion extending from thG'lfiSl'r,

named portion to the casing.

3. In a rotary engine, the combination with a casing having diametrically opposite inlet ports and adjacentdiametrically opposite exhaust ports, the inner end of each inlet port being formed with a chamber having a beveled seat in one wall, a swinging valve pivotally supported in the opposite wall of the chamber and having a beveled end for seating on the said seat, and a rotor consisting of an approximately cylindrical block having its peripheral face pro-- ill!) vided with a curved portionreceding from i the periphery inwardly toward the axis of the rotor, a portion concentric with and spaced from the casing rearwardly of the ture. I 7 THOMAS E. PRINCE.

said curved portion, a straight portion extending rearwardly from the concentric por- 

